Over the last two decades, Arsenal have had some phenomenal teams that broke several records and won numerous titles. Under manager Arsene Wenger, they also invested heavily in youth, giving opportunities to homegrown players as well as scouting players from across Europe to bring to England.
Some players, like Ashley Cole, Cesc Fabregas, and Thierry Henry joined the club at a young age to become world-class stars. But, some players did not quite live up to expectations.
Here, we take a look at 3 Arsenal players who never reached their true potential
Abou Diaby
French midfielder Abou Diaby was signed by Arsenal in 2006 from Auxerre, at the age of 20. Wenger likened him to Arsenal legend Patrick Vieira, due to his height and physicality. Although there were some similarities, Diaby was a technical player, with good passing range, as well as his ability to move from one box to the other, but did not have the aggression that Vieira possessed.
Diaby could not live up to the lofty expectations that Wenger and Arsenal fans had of him as injuries halted his progress, while an Arsenal side in transition also did not help in his development. After 9 years at the club, Diaby was released by Arsenal in 2015, having played just 180 games and not winning any trophy with the Gunners.
Nicklas Bendtner
Another player hyped by Wenger was striker Nicklas Bendtner, who was signed by the North London club in 2004, before making his debut a year later in 2005. A tall and strong striker, Bendtner was tailormade for the English game, but it didn’t quite work out for him at Arsenal. He had two promising seasons – 2008-09 and 2009-10 – where he scored a combined 26 goals in two seasons.
But, off-field issues and rows with teammates did not help his cause, while the goals dried up which led to him being released in 2014.
Jack Wilshere
Jack Wilshere’s Arsenal career has to be the most disappointing one over the last decade or so. Primed to be an important player for the senior team right since he made his debut at the age of 16. Technically sound and possessing a winner’s mentality that was lacking in the Arsenal squad, Wilshere became one of the first names on the teamsheet after his loan spell at Bolton.
Wilshere was well on his way to becoming a key playmaker as well as the engine of the Arsenal midfield. But, numerous injuries – some serious ones – halted his progress and perhaps flattened the edge that he had in his game. He left the club in 2018 to join West Ham United where his injury issues haven’t subsided.